Gaby Sanchez | First Baseman

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Gaby Sanchez has signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Japan's Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Sanchez was non-tendered by the Pirates in early December and clearly didn't find much love in MLB free agency. The 31-year-old first baseman batted just .229/.293/.385 in 290 plate appearances last season for the Pirates. He was named a National League All-Star in 2011 with the Marlins, but his numbers fell off a cliff in 2012 and never recovered. Jan 8 - 9:28 AM

They had already designated Sanchez for assignment and have now officially cut him loose after they were unable to find a trade partner. Sanchez's days as a starter are over, but he'll catch on somewhere in a backup or possibly platoon role. Tue, Dec 2, 2014 11:58:00 PM

The move clears a roster spot for utilityman Sean Rodriguez, who was acquired from the Rays on Monday morning. Sanchez batted just .229/.293/.385 with seven homers and 33 RBI in 123 games this past year for the Bucs. Mon, Dec 1, 2014 10:28:00 AM

Gaby Sanchez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Reds.

Sanchez got the start against a right-handed pitcher because Ike Davis wasn't feeling well, and it worked out wonderfully for the Pirates. Sanchez took Mike Leake deep in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie. The first baseman, who typically does his damage against lefties, is hitting .233/.298/.393 with seven home runs and 33 RBI. Fri, Sep 26, 2014 10:14:00 PM

Depth Charts

Chris Stewart (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined for at least the next two weeks.

Which means he's in danger of opening the regular season on the disabled list. Stewart's hamstring injury was initially described as a minor tweak, but it's clearly more severe than that. The 33-year-old catcher hasn't appeared in a Grapefruit League game since last Monday. Tony Sanchez may get to serve as Francisco Cervelli's backup in the early going this season.

Jaff Decker told reporters Monday morning that his left calf is "feeling a lot better."

Decker tweaked the calf Sunday in a Grapefruit League game when his cleats got caught while he was leaving the batter's box. He had to be helped off the field, but this doesn't sound like a major injury.

Dr. James Andrews performed the procedure, which typically comes with a 12-15 month recovery timetable. Cumpton will miss the entire 2015 season and he's probably not going to be back to 100 percent by the beginning of the 2016 campaign. The 26-year-old right-hander had been fighting for a long relief job this spring in Pirates camp.